Tattoos
by mypiratecat1
Summary: PostAWE.  TWO CHAPTERS, COMPLETE.  WE, of course.  Sailors remember events in their lives by tattooing them upon their bodies.... a conversation between Jack, William and Elizabeth on the deck of the Pearl during a hot Caribbean day, and in Tortuga, later
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **I looked, and they all still belong to Disney. Hoist the colours of the Mouse!_

_**Author's note: **As always in my Pirates world, William is free of his curse. He and Elizabeth have joined the crew of the Pearl. Pirate Cat_

۞

"Jack...we've been wondering..." William began, as he mopped his face with the tails of his pale blue bandana, rinsing his face off with cool water. The day was stifling hot in the sun, even for the Caribbean. The Black Pearl was moored off of the coast of Saint Kitts, in order to mend some sails that had been ripped by a storm that Jack had managed to skirt the worst of... the only damage was to the mainsail, and First Mate William Turner the Second and Captain Jack Sparrow had just climbed down from the rigging to help make certain that everything was repaired properly by the seasoned crew. They were both shirtless in the hot sun...even a simple task such as inspecting the sails was nearly unendurable.

"...wot ye wonderin', whelp?" the captain asked, as he also mopped his dark face, the water dripping off of his small nose and making him sneeze, creating a flurry of jingling beads. "Bless you..." giggled Elizabeth, as she handed them both tall mugs of fresh water to drink... Jack screwed up his face and muttered, "I needs all o' th' blessin' I can get...water...eewww."

William stood up straight and stretched, as he flexed his shoulders, "We've been wondering...when we took care of you while you were sick a while back, we couldn't help but notice all of your tattoos. We were wondering what the stories were behind them..." William was quite proud of his own tattoo, one that Jack, himself had designed, as a former tattoo artist... Jack also had the same tattoo upon the left side of his chest; a stylized heart of Davy Jones with a dagger stabbing through it (Jack could not draw a broken sword)... the dagger had a tiny sparrow perched upon the hilt. They wished to remember their shared experience and it was a sailor's tradition to be tattooed with memories.

"Yes, Jack, I am more than curious about some of your 'artwork'," Elizabeth smiled, as the captain looked himself over as though he had never seen his own body before. Indeed, he was an interesting combination of tattoos, scars and smooth deeply bronzed skin.

Jack swayed back a bit as he stretched his arms out before him, and chuckled, "I forgot that you have seen me naked whilst I was beset wif illness, Izzy." His eyebrow quirked up and he smiled wickedly, "_You_ still owe _me_ a peek, lass..."

Elizabeth shook her head adamently and said, "Sorry, Jack. You'd bled all over, were knocked out cold, and we had stitch up your head and strip off your bloody clothes... ... it was not enjoyable...and I do not plan to place myself in the same situation that you were in." Jack pouted a bit, and then brightened, "Alright then, which tattoo do ye want t' know 'bout first?"

The young couple looked at Jack as if he was a statue that they were considering for purchase, then Elizabeth tentatively reached out and pointed, "The anchor?" Jack stared at his right shoulder, and frowned, "That one, missy, is the most boring one, really. It was me first one... I was maybe about 14 at th' time... it was th' first time I ever got drunk wif your father," Jack nodded toward William, who was now pouring a libation that was a tad more burning and satisfying than a mug of water. Jack smiled appreciatively as they all sat down to rest in the shade. "In all honesty, I was so drunk, then so hungover, I really don't remember much 'bout it...gettin' snockered wif Bill was more interestin' than gettin' the tattoo was..." he frowned at it, again. "I really must get tha' one touched up into somethin' more interestin'."

William took a long drink and then said, "What about the mermaid under the anchor, that looks a bit like Scarlett?" Jack glared at him and growled, "Bite your tongue, lad... that is purely by chance, an' I don't remember how I got tha' one, either..." the captain shrugged, almost apologetically. William continued, "The dragon on your lower back?"

Jack smiled smugly and replied, "Singapore... th' first time around when I insulted Sao Feng." They had never gotten an explanation from Jack about that one... and from the mysterious smile upon his dark face, it seemed that they would not get one this time, either. Elizabeth laughed, "What about the other ones that you _do_ remember?"

Jack fell silent for a long moment, looking himself over and thinking back over the circumstances that brought the captain to wish to remember these events by forever having them inked upon his body. Elizabeth had always been particularly curious about two of the tattoos that Jack bore, and he looked at her with a level dark gaze as she looked at his badly scarred left arm. The lightning bolt scar traversed all the way up the underside of his arm, from his wrist to his armpit... a burn that was inflicted upon the captain when his ship was firebombed out from under him by the East India Trade Company. There was a tattoo around his left bicep... a chain with two broken links, as if his very muscles were bursting them apart. "That one?" she asked softly.

Jack smiled, "Broken shackles, Izzy. Broken shackles of slavery... broken shackles of authority... freedom." He sipped his rum and waited for the couple to continue. William ran a hand over his deeply scarred chest, and remembered that there was one tattoo upon Jack's back that was no longer visible in it's entirety. "Your back, Jack... what about that one."

Jack's eyes widened, as he craned his neck to try to look over his shoulder to his back, "I forgot about tha' one..." He then said nothing for a moment, as his eyes met William's. Both of them had badly scarred backs from undeserved floggings. William said nothing, and looked at Jack over the edge of his mug. Elizabeth couldn't tell what either of them was thinking, and she bit her lip, wondering what the captain would say.

"That one, young Turners," Jack said, after another long, slow swallow of rum, "...was an Irish harp at one time. My mother played the Irish harp..." he continued, "...Cutler Beckett's little pet, Mr. Mercer, took care o' that tattoo wif a cat o' nine tails once I was plucked from th' sea by th' Endeavor after they sank me ship... Mercer laid me back open, an' ruined a perfectly lovely tattoo...I eked out a bit o' revenge for that one, though." He smiled and winked at his companions, however, as they all smirked at the story that Jack had told them of the mark that he had left upon Beckett.

Elizabeth sipped her own rum and said to Jack, "I am really surprised that you don't have a tattoo of the Black Pearl, Jack... only the words 'The Black Pearl', here." She traced her finger over the ornately scripted tattoo that was arced over his own heart.

Jack looked at that one fondly, "That one I got after the mutiny..." there was a momentary silence, once again, as the three friends thought over the circumstance that had brought them all together... then Jack concluded by saying, simply, "I didn't have any home, let alone money... I had the simple words 'The Black Pearl' tattooed over my heart in my own handwriting... didn't need anythin' more 'n' that..."

After a few moments of thought, William grinned, "Besides, Jack, you're so scrawny that there isn't enough of you to tattoo the entire Pearl upon." Jack drew himself up indignantly, then deflated a bit, when Elizabeth laughed out loud, visualizing the slender captain covered from head to toe in a tattoo of a ship...William was right.

William stretched again, and said, "I have been thinking of getting another tattoo." Elizabeth turned and looked at her husband curiously, as she loved his tattoo that Jack had designed. "Another one, Will? What would you get?" She was geniunely interested, as was Jack, who hoped that he might be called upon to design another one for his best friend.

William smiled at his wife and said, "The Dead Man's Chest." Jack nearly choked upon his rum as Elizabeth's eyes grew wide. William enjoyed the reaction that he had gotten, "... the Dead Man's Chest, opened and empty... " William took Elizabeth's hand and slowly drew it to his scarred chest. "...to remind me of where my heart is, now." Elizabeth's hand pressed against her husband's strong muscled chest... a chest with a strong, beating heart under that long, jagged scar.

Elizabeth's eyes softened and she looked into her husband's loving brown eyes, and said, "... if you were to do that, my love, then I would get a tattoo of the key..." she smiled, "...to always remind us that nothing... not even the Dead Man's Chest... can contain our love..." She leaned into a long, soft kiss, her hands going from William's chest to run her fingers through his long, curly dark hair.

As the young couple was lost in each other's embrace upon the deck of his dark ship, Jack observed them with a grin, munching upon a handful of peanuts... and he wondered if he could make a draw'ring of the Dead Man's Chest... and of the key...

۞


	2. Chapter 2

۞

Elizabeth watched with wide eyes, as William kept handing Jack what was now his second bottle of rum... the tattoo that he was having done on his right shoulder was extensive, and as a result, painful. William kept watching Jack's face closely, as the captain's eyes were becoming more and more unfocused with drink, and his words were becoming more and more slurred.

"... how are ye comin', Jenks?" Jack swiveled his head around to his favorite Tortugan tattoo artist, a large burly man with not an inch of skin upon his own body that was not covered in ornate designs of various and sundry subjects, all related to a long career as a pirate before retiring to a less hazardous profession... less hazardous as long as he kept his wild customers satisfied or too drunk to remember where they had been when they were illustrated by his broad hand. He always had a scabbard strapped to his side and a pistol in his belt, and several bottles lined up in case he had to take one to an unruly customer's head. Jenks had retired to land since he had lost his leg in an explosion of a powder magazine, and he clumped about upon an ornately carved wooden leg...Elizabeth smiled to herself, it was as if the pegleg had been tattooed by whittling.

"I'm comin' along fine, Jack... just another couple o' hours an' we'll have ye a fine new tattoo!" the stout man grinned as he kept working with his needles and ink, reaching for a towel now and then to wipe away the blood that was seeping a bit from the captain's dark shoulder. Jack winced and took another swig of rum, then glanced up at the Turners, who had smiles upon their faces at the scene before them... "wot you two grinnin' at?" he asked, blearily.

William was also a bit tipsy, as his tattoo was also rather extensive and had taken the entire morning. They had taken a break for getting a bite to eat at the Faithful Bride with Scarlett, who was up and about early on in the day for one of her profession. Elizabeth had enjoyed a long conversation with the buxom redhead, who was quite admiring the lovely work of art that now adorned William's left bicep.

"Jack designed it..." William hiccuped a little, breaking off a large slab of bread clumsily and chopping a chunk of cheese from the wheel that was placed in the middle of the table.

He took a deep breath as Elizabeth delicately touched it with her finger, smiling at Scarlett, "It's the Dead Man's Chest, open and empty... and Jack even drew it to show where the hinge is missing... the hinge that was made into our wedding rings." The tattoo was quite intricate, with the carvings and the crab shaped lock so real in its appearance that it looked as though one could touch the art and actually feel the textures that were now a permenant part of William's tanned skin. William looked at his tattoo with a great deal of satisfaction... the open chest that now adorned him had deep meaning, as he smiled slightly as he turned and looked into Elizabeth's loving eyes.

Scarlett looked at it closely, her face filled admiration. She turned to Jack, who was looking on proudly at William's new tattoo, his golden teeth catching the glint of the bright sunlight as it came through a grimy window by their table. "Scarlett, darling, show William and Izzy your tattoo!"

"What?" Elizabeth's eyes popped as she turned to stare at Scarlett, who grinned back. Elizabeth had only been joking when she had said that she would get a tattoo of the key to the Dead Man's Chest, as she had never heard of a woman getting inked before, and certainly not a lady of her former social standing. She was astounded, then fascinated, as Scarlett lifted the hem of her voluminous skirt to reveal a tiny illustration upon her slender ankle. It was a rose, with a beautiful curving stem and tendril-like leaves curling around.

"Lovely, ain't it?" Scarlett turned her ankle, as William caught himself ogling it, much to Jack's amusement and Elizabeth's frown at him. Scarlett explained, "My mum's name was Rosalie... she sold flowers by the docks o' Port Royal when I was little. Me father died at sea, an' she would sell wee lil' tuzzys t' those comin' in from their ships t' take t' their sweethearts in order t' support me an' me brother... she died when I was 18... me brother ran off t' sea, an' I came 'ere." Scarlett ran her fingers over the tattoo, affectionately, "I always 'ave 'er here with me, even if it is just a picture of a rose... Jack designed it for me."

William turned to Elizabeth and said nothing, but she knew what was going through his mind... she looked at Jack, and said, "Do you suppose that the tavernkeep might have something to draw with, Jack?"

Jack grinned and thought that their return to Master Jenks' tattoo emporium after their meal would certainly turn into an interesting visit.

۞

They all were back upon the Pearl for the evening, after walking off the effects of their rum... or at least attempting to walk off the effects. In Jack's case, it was not always obvious, since his walk was naturally wobbly and most could not tell if he was tipsy or not... this evening, they were all sitting upon the main deck and discussing the events of the day.

As they looked out over the torchlit streets of Tortuga City, Elizabeth cuddled baby Will to her as she fed him. It had been a wonderful day in port, and they had enjoyed themselves immensely. William and Jack were shirtless, once again, as the night was hot and they were rather sore after the rum began wearing off.

Elizabeth rocked Little Will in her arms as she said, "Jack, turn around so I can see your shoulder, again!" The captain grinned at her in a cheeky manner, and said, "Can't get enough, can ye, lass?" She snorted with feigned disgust as he obligingly turned around to show off his shoulder. William examined it closely and smiled, also. "That is a damned good likeness, Jack. I think that you should have had this done a long time ago..."

Jack swiveled his head around and looked down at his new artwork, just a bit crosseyed in order to see it more clearly. "I didn't have th' inspiration 'til you two came along," he chuckled.

Just as he had mentioned several days back, he had decided to have his old tattoos redone, especially at the insistance of the Turners, since they were heading into Tortuga for supplies. It was indeed, quite the improvement, for the anchor was now more intricately rendered, and it now had a beautiful rudder chain wound around it in an artful pattern... the chain ran down the length of Jack's upper arm, to what used to be the mermaid... the mermaid that was now metamorphasized into the angelic figurehead of the Black Pearl, holding a wee sparrow in her outstretched hand.

"Ye know, William, this is much more better..." the captain expounded, tossing his head back proudly, "We have taken me old tattoo, wot I got when I was sailin' wif your father, an' have given it a whole new twist thanks t' both of your suggestions... an' th' mermaid, wot I don't even remember gettin', is now representin' o' me Dark Lady. Who says I'm too scrawny t' have me Pearl tattooed upon me ripplin' bicep, mates? This..." he said, smugly,"... is th' essence o' me Pearl!"

William laughed out loud and said, "And at least this time you are not too drunk to remember it." Jack winced, "It hurts... I _wanted_ t' remember it this time, or I might have been too drunk..." He turned to look at Elizabeth and said, "And you, Izzy?" Jack grinned widely, "Let's see _your_ tattoo!"

Elizabeth giggled a little, then blushed more deeply than either of them had ever seen her blush before. If her father was alive, he would be mortified... but things were much different, now, and she wished to join her two most loved ones in a representation of the memories that they were all creating together. She giggled again, as William and Jack grinned expectantly. She had asked Scarlett to be present with them at the tattoo establishment, for the sake of her dignity as well as for moral support... the latter being more important.

She looked around to see if anyone else was watching, and carefully... almost shyly... pulled down open the front of her shirt ever so slightly. Her two men smiled at her proudly, as she revealed only to them, a small and graceful tattoo of the key... the very key to the Dead Man's Chest, tied to a tiny blue ribbon... the representation of ribbon from Singapore that tied off a single braid in William's hair...her ribbon that he had carried with him while still the captain of the Flying Dutchman. It was tattooed over her own heart.

Elizabeth smiled at Jack, and said, softly, "Thank you, Jack. It is a lovely 'draw'ring'. Mr. Jenks does wonderful work."

William got up to get another bottle from the rum cellar, and as he passed by, he reached down and kissed her hair softly, enjoying his wife's small and merry moment of pirate rebelliousness. "It's beautiful, darling... " Elizabeth looked up at her handsome husband with shining eyes, and he kissed her, again, then glanced at her tattoo admiringly until she self consciously covered it back up... from now on, it was only for William's and baby Will's eyes.

They both looked over at the captain, who leaned over and replied, mischieviously, "You're welcome fer the draw'ring, Izzy... an' ye impressed me, lass... ye had a tattoo done wifout a single drop o' rum!" The Turners laughed, as the captain shook his head in solemn and utter admiration.

THE END


End file.
